Happy Solstice!!
Did you all realize that at 18:06 UTC on July 21 was the Summer Solstice? That is right, yesterday was the longest day of the year. From here on out the days will get shorter. At 6 PM UTC the sun was directly over the Tropic Of Cancer. UTC is the time in England, so translated to Eastern Standard Time subtract 4 hours (5 hours when it is not daylight savings time - another reason to stop with the clock change bullshit). So at 2 PM EDT the sun was as far north in the sky as it is going to get.
This is good news for Miami, because from here on out the days are shorter and shorter. We like this because as the days get shorter and the season changes there are fewer hurricanes. And it is cooler. So I say to the sun - MAKE WITH THE WINTER ALREADY! Quit screwing around. It is hot enough now. Really. I am only a few degrees north of the Tropic Of Cancer.
MOVIE REVIEW TIME!
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA. We all know about the battle of Iwo Jima. One of the most famous pictures from WWII came from that island. It is a desolate deserted rock in the Pacific Ocean - but it is just large enough for an airstrip. And it is close to Japan.
This is a movie about the defenders of the island. The Japanese Soldiers. And amazingly enough, they were not that different from the American "invaders". They were there because of a perceived duty to their country. They left wives and children behind. And they knew that it was likely they would die in battle.
The dialog is in Japanese, so you have to read this movie. Clint Eastwood directed it and did a good job. Most of the movie takes place before the battle. The actual battle is depicted, but is not really the main focus of the movie.
It is worth watching.
THE MESSENGERS - A ghost type horror movie. But not just ANY ghost type horror movie! This one is from The Pang Brothers. These guys did some horror stuff in Japan where they are fairly well known. And it was produced by Sam Raimi, who was also involved in The Evil Dead, The Evil Dead II, and Army Of Darkness (Evil Dead III). Evil Dead 1 and 2 were pretty much the same movie, with number 2 being better because the first one was made to be a horror flick and number 2 was a comedy horror flick. Army Of Darkness was also a comedy horror flick.
Sam Raimi created the ULTIMATE movie bad ass - Ash. Ash is the main character in the Evil Dead movies. The dude cuts off his own (possessed) hand with a chain saw, and then makes the chain saw his missing hand! And then he hacks up countless Evil Dead things. Lets see Rambo do that! Rambo is a sniveling pussy compared to Ash.
But I am supposed to be reviewing The Messengers. It was OK. For a horror flick. It is really hard to make a horror movie. There is not a lot you can do with it. This movie has some predictable horror flick elements. But it is OK. I guess. I am glad I did not pay to see this in the theaters.
APOCALYPTO - Another Mel Gibson movie. Mel seems to like using obscure languages NOBODY has spoken for hundreds of years. Well someone may still speak Mayan. Who knows. And how do we know what a dead language really sounds like anyway? Shit Mel just use ENGLISH. Or Spanish. Or German. Or anything that is spoken TODAY. You crazy goof.
Apocalypto is a story about Jaguar Paw. He lives in the jungle with his tribe. Another tribe (Aztecs????) capture him and destroy his village. Then he is marched through the jungle to a larger settlement to be sacrificed.
But he does not want to be sacrificed. He has to get back to his wife and child.
And then some stuff happens. And the Spanish show up. So the Mayan Civilization is pretty much over at that point.
I do not know what the point of the movie is. Mel claims it has a point - but whatever. Clint Eastwood is a MUCH better director. This movie was OK. Not good, not great, but OK. I am glad I did not pay to see this in the theater.
OK! Reviews over! I mailed two movies back. Saturday I should get "Flags Of Our Fathers" (Clint Eastwood movie about Iwo Jima - this time from the American side point of view) and "Good Night, And Good Luck" - a movie about TV newsman Edward R. Murrow and his battle with Senator Joe "I See Commies" McCarthy. I hope Murrow wins. Tuesday I will get "Sideways" unless I change the order of my Queue.
Labels: movie review, summer solstice
posted by The Lazy Iguana @ 02:32
8 Comments:
I think Mel does use English, Spanish and German...Wines, that is! Back to back, a bottle of each. And then he goes driving down the highway and cusses to the nice policeman about the Jews.
Good luck watching Flags of Our Fathers. I thought that was one of the worst movies I have seen in recent memory. Way too depressing and the story line too disjointed.
I liked Sideways a lot. Wasn't crazy about Goodnight and Good Luck. It was just ok.
Don't like Mel Gibson AT ALL. I think he's a big jerk. Cute as heck though.
People in these parts have Solstice parties. Even old people like me get invites to more than one. I don't see the point in summer solstice parties. But I do enjoy a winter solstice party, 'cause they involve bonfires and such. Plus at the winter solstice you know that each day thereafter the daylight will get longer and longer.
I thought The Messengers was pretty ok, because you can tell they tried to make it different enough to stand out from other horror movies. I liked it when the mom was putting a sheet on the bed and you could see that kid ghost's legs under there. And the little tractor deal, that was creepy. But probably the thing I liked the most was the end... it didn't end at all like most of those movies. The house wasn't bad, just what was in it.
And good Iguana Music, by the way...
The Lazy,
If there is a big hurricane will you please make sure the blacks get out of Miami safely. I can't listen to the liberals again like with Katrina.
I saw Oceans 13 tonight. It was ok but my stomache is hurting from all the snacks.
CM - Mel does seem to have anger management issues. And movie making issues. I am underwhelmed by his two films.
Ed - Clint Eastwood did a pretty good job with "Letters From Iwo Jima". It was depressing too. But the subject matter (war) is depressing. I think that is the point.
TLP - having a summer solstice party here is kind of pointless. What would we do? Hang out inside where the AC is cool? Go to the beach? Have a back yard BBQ? We do that every day here in the summer. Winter solstice parties are too depressing because it reminds us that the bugs and hurricanes will be back soon.
Normy - The Messengers was OK. I think I said that. It did attempt to be a "different" horror movie. More Alfred Hitchcock spooky than "lets have a lot of blood and gore" spooky. The movie was rated PG-13. So you know that is not going to be a hack and slash film. The Iguana Music is always great!
Krokodil - Miami will not be a problem. We are not below sea level here. The property that floods in a surge is mostly expensive water front stuff. People are evacuated from those areas. Miami-Dade County is not playing games with evacuation orders.
cheesemeisters comment is cracking me up. I never seem to be attracted to any of the movies you watch. I am into comedies and good psycho thrillers.
huh? ok, I don't remember what else you said, cause I'm out of it
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